Screen conveyer



y v I o. HURXTHAL 2,007,862

' SCREEN CONVEYER I Filed Dec. 22, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 9, 1935.A, o. HURXTHAL SCREEN CONVEYER Filed Dec. 22, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Huh!9, 1935., A O HURXTHAL ZQQ'LGZ SCREEN CONVEYER Filed Dec. 22, 1953 5Sheets-Sheet 3 /7 1a /7 id Patented July 9, 1935 to Proctor & Schwartz,Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., a'corporation of Pennsylvania 2 This"invention rela provements in screen ularly to relatively fine meshscreen the endless sectional type.

The principal object of the invention is to pro- -1 Application December22, 1933, Serial l lo/703,621

tonn s. (o1. 19's-194 tes tonew and useful imconveyers and moreparticconveyers of vide a: conveyor of the characterset forth havingmeansfor pivotally connecting successive sections or the ends of aconveyer apron whereby flexing of the screen meshduring passage aboutthe cus-' tomary supporting pulleys or drums is eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyer of the statedcharacter wherein the means forpivotally connecting sections or ends ofthe conveyer apron-is arranged to occupy but a relative small proportionof the surface area of thesconveyer section 0 r apron so as not todetract from the operativeness thereof. i 1 v Anotherflobject of theinventionis to provide a screen conveyer of the character set forthwhich apron Anotherobject ofthe invention istoprovidea sectional screenmesh setforth wherein the section couplings are deconveyer of thecharacter signed so that any section can be readilydetached and.replaced.

A further object of a screen conveyer for the invention is to providecomparatively heavy work comprising relatively superimposed layers offine and more coarse screen mesh sections theadjacent ends of whicharepivotally connected by novel meanswhich function also to secure the saidscreen mesh laye rs to each.,otlier.'

Certainother objects and the details off conafterwand shownin in whichzqstruction *of -the. invention are set forth herein the accompanyingdrawings,

, 'Fig. 1 is a: viewin plan ofa finer mesh screen conveyor made ininvention.

accordance with the'present Fig.2 is an enlargedfragmentary view inplanof a portion of the apron andpivoted joint shown inFig. 1. l

v F'ig.".f3 is a view in'sectioil on -line 3 3; Fig. 2. Fig.4 is aviewin section on line 4'4, Fig. 2.

:Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of an apron type fornrof conveyer withinventionpand" e; 1'

in the contmplationpfthe and drums. causes the longitudinal strands ofwire therein to 9 is a view in section on line 99 Fig. 8; Heretofore,considerable difiiculty has been encountered in the use of continuousconveyors having screen aprons of relatively fine mesh because of thenecessity for said aprons to flex as the same pass about the customarysupporting pulleys This flexing of the screen apron bend in alternatelyopposite directions thus weakening them and causing ultimate severingthereof on a line transversely of the conveyer; and while comparativelyopen mesh screen conveyer apron sections may be pivotally connected inthe manner shown and described in United States Patent No. 1,634,963issued on July 5, 1927 to Walter M. Schwartz this method is notpractically adaptable to screening of relatively fine mesh and it is notpossible to make such a jointin the latter 7 as is shown in theabove-mentioned patent.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a continuousconveyer apron comprising a number of relatively short sections of finemesh screening successively connected together by means of a hingedjoint in such a manner that will preclude flexing of the longitudinalstrands of wireof'the mesh screening as itpasses about the supportingpulleys and accordingly eliminates any tendency for them to break.

Referring now particularly to the drawings, referenoe numeral Idesignates a screen conveyor apron section of relatively fine mesh, asfor-instance between 14 to 30 meshes per inch, the said sections I maybe of any desired predetermined dimensions, and these should bedetermined according to the particular construction of the'supportingpulleys therefor, as is described-in detail hereinafter.

One element A of a hinged member designated generally as 2 is secured toone end of each of the screen sections I and the other or complementaryelement B is securedtothe other end thereof. .Each'of the hinge elementsA and B are substantially of the same construction and are provided witha plurality of spaced loops 3 which project laterally from the outeredge thereof in axial alignment with respect to each other. In-

tegral portions 4 extend rearwardly from the under side. of the spacedloops 3 and pass upwardly and overthe second transverse strand 5 of themesh screen section I, as at do at the upper side of each'o f the hingeelements A and B, and alternately spaced with respect to the projections4, a number of projections fiextendin the direction of the screensection I and pass downwardly and under the second transverse strand 5of said sections as at 6a. The elements A and B of the hinged member 2are secured transversely of the ends of each of the screen sections I sothat the spaced loops 3 at the outer edges thereof will cooperate asshown in Fig. 2 of the drawings to the extent that the loops 3 of eachthereof are substantially co-axial with respect to each other. A rod orpin I extends through the loops 3 as shown and constitutes a commonpivot point for the adjacent elements of the hinge Z and screen sectionsof the apron.

It will be noticed by referring to the drawings that the proportionatesurface area of the hinged member 2 with respect to the surface area ofthe adjacent screen sections I is sufilciently small as to not interferewith the eflicient functioning of the screen mesh in its intendedmanner.

The conveyer construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be adapted tocontinuous conveyers of both the apron and link or chain type such asdisclosed in Figs. 5 and 6. In the former the apron comprises apredetermined number of successive sections I connected by means of thepreviously described members 2. The apron is mounted upon rotatabledrums or pulleys 8 having shafts S and these drums or pulleys areprovided at their circumference with axially parallel recesses orgrooves III at equally spaced intervals thereabout arranged forengagement by the successive hinged members 2 as shown.

A fine mesh screen apron constructed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may beeffectively used in a link or chain type conveyer as shown in Figs. 6and '7, and in this form it is necessary that the pivot pin I connectingthe successive sections I should be co-axial with the centers of therollers II and the pivot points of the respective chain links I2. Inthis particular arrangement the screen sections I may be secured attheir sides in grooves extending longitudinally of the links I2 of thechain by means of screws I3 which also serve to secure side walls I4thereto so that articles may be piled to a substantial depth upon theapron. In the present instance the chain conveyer is arranged to passabout sprockets I5 constructed similarly to the pulleys or drums 8 inFig. 5 in that they are provided with recesses I6 spaced at equalintervals around the periphery thereof to receive the successive rollersII and/or pivot points of the chain links I2.

For the most eflicient operation of a conveyer of the present type it isdesirable that the recesses or grooves III and I6 in either form ofpulleys 8 and I5 be circumferentially spaced one from the other adistance equal to the longitudinal dimensions of the screen sections Iand that the surface of the drums intermediate the said recesses bedisposed in a plane tangent to the center thereof so that the screensection I intermediate adjacent hinge members 2 may be supported in acommon plane during traverse of the conveyer about the drums or pulleys.In this manner all relative angular movement in the conveyer will occurabout the connecting pins I, and preclude any possible severing of thestrands of the mesh of the sections I.

Of course, the specific arrangement of the pulleys 8 and sprockets I5may be varied from the substantially octagonal shape shown in each ofFigs. 5 and 6, and, for example, pulleys of hexagonal, pentagonal, orpolygons having any number of sides may be provided, but it is essentialand necessary to the efiicient operation of the invention that thetangential dimension between any two adjacent recesses at thecircumference of the pulleys be substantially equal to the distancebetween the successive pivot pins 1.

It will be obvious that in certain installations where the use of finemesh screening in conveyer aprons is desirable the fine mesh wire maynot be sufiiciently strong to support the load to be carried thereby.Accordingly, it is Within the contemplation of the present invention toprovide a conveyer apron comprised in sections I constructed in themanner shown in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings wherein the fine meshscreening is backed or supported by a screen section of coarser openmesh II. In this modification the sections of both the fine and morecoarse supporting mesh are of the same dimensions and pivotallyconnected to an adjacent similar section by means of a hinged member 2ain substantially the same manner as previously set forth, the saidhinged member functioning both to pivotally connect the adjacentsections Ia as well as secure together the superimposed layers of fineand open mesh Ia, and I! respectively comprising the same. The operatingcharacteristics of the disclosures in Figs. 8 and 9 are similar to thoseset forth with regard to the disclosures in the other figures of thedrawings and should be similarly mounted or supported by appropriatelyconstructed pulleys or drums 8, and sprockets I5, depending whether thedouble layer apron is embodied in a plain apron or link or chain type ofconveyer.

In the chain or link type of conveyer such as shown in Figs. 6 and '7 ofthe drawings it is desirable that girts I8 be provided intermediate theside chain links I2 as shown in Fig. '7 for the purpose of maintainingthe said side chains properly spaced and affording a transverse supportfor the mesh apron I. In the present instance the links of the sidechains I2 are provided with depending brackets I9 to which the girts I8are permanently secured, and the construction and mounting thereof issubstantially similar to the girts disclosed in the previously mentionedUnited States Letters Patent No. 1,634,963 issued on July 5, 1927 toWalter M. Schwartz, although the same may or may not be mounted inmis-alignment with the pivotal joint of a particular conveyer asdesired.

While specific details of one form of the invention have been disclosedfor the purpose of description, it is not intended that the invention beentirely limited thereto except such as is not within the scope of theannexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. The combination in a mesh screen conveyer of a series of screensections at least eight mesh per inch fine, a hinge element arranged forattachment to the ends of each of said sections, axially aligned loopsat the outer edge of each of said hinge elements, said loops beingarranged for coaxial association with the loops of another hinge member,means extending horizontally from each of said loops at the top andbottom of each hinge member and engaging at least one transverse strandin the screen section adjacent the end thereof, said means being ofgreater width than the mesh in said sections, and common means extendingthrough the loops of each of said hinge elements to pivotally connectthe same.

2. The combination in a mesh screen conveyer of a series of screensections each comprised of relatively superimposed layers of fine andmore coarse mesh, the former being at least eight mesh per inch fine, aseparate hinge element arranged for attachment to the ends of each ofsaid sections, axially aligned loops at the outer edge of the hingemembers, said loops being arranged for co-axial association with theloops of a hinge element of an adjacent section, means extendinghorizontally from said loops at the top and bottom of each of said hingemembers and engaging at least one transverse strand in the screensections adjacent the end thereof, and common means extending throughthe loops of each of said hinge members to pivotally connect the same.

3. The combination in a mesh screen conveyer having side carrying chainscomprising a series of pivotally connected links, screen sections atleast eight mesh per inch fine carried thereby and secured at theirsides to said links, a hinge element arranged for attachment to the endsof each of said sections, axially aligned loops at the outer edge ofeach of said elements, said loops being arranged for co-axialassociation with the loops of a hinge member of an adjacent section,means extending horizontally'from said loops at the top and bottom ofeach of said hinge members and engaging at least one transverse strandin the screen section adjacent the end thereof, said means being ofgreater width than the mesh of said sections, and pins extending throughthe loops of each of said elements to pivotally connect the same, saidpins being in alignment with the pivots of the links but independentthereof.

4. The combination in a mesh screen conveyer having side carrying chainscomprising a series of pivotally connected links, of a series of screensections carried thereby, each comprised of rela tively superimposedlayers of fine 'and more coarse mesh, the former being at least eightmesh per inch fine, a separate hinge element arranged for attachment tothe ends of each of said sections, axially aligned-loops at the outeredge of the hinge members, said loops being arrangedfor 'co-axialassociation with the loops of a hinge element of an adjacent section,means extending horizontally from said loops at the top and bottom ofeach of said hinge members and engaging at least one transverse strandin the screen sections adjacent the end thereof, and common meansextending through the loops of each of said hinge members to pivotallyconnect the same, said means being in alignment with the pivots of thelinks but independent thereof.

5. The combination in a mesh screen conveyer of a series of screensections, each comprised of relatively superimposed layers of fine andmore coarse mesh, the former being at least eight mesh per inch fine, aseparate hinge element at each end of said sections, means on saidelements engaging a transverse wire on each of said layers to secure thesame together, and common means engaging portions of each of said hingeelements for pivotally connecting the same.

6. The combination in a mesh screen conveyer of a series of screensections, a hinge element attached to the ends of each section, axiallyaligned loops at the outer edge of each hinge element, said loops beingspaced to receive the loops of an adjacent section therebetween inaligned relation, means extending from the loop section over the upperand lower surfaces of the screen and engaging a transverse strand in thescreen adjacent its ends, and means passing through the aligned loops ofeach hinge member to pivotally connect the same.

ALPHEUS O. HURXTHAL.

